Sidney Kanazawa, Esq.
Mediator/Arbitrator
Sid Kanazawa is a full-time mediator/arbitrator who thought he understood mediations. During his 40 years of trial practice, he believed the myths – “if everyone is unhappy, it must be a good settlement”, “in-person is the only way to effectively mediate,” and “mediations should be scheduled just before trial.”
After the pandemic forced him to mediate more than 100 cases online, he no longer
believes the myths. Using a status conference approach he developed during the
pandemic, he now mediates early (sometimes before a lawsuit is filed), often, online, in-person, and world-wide to secure the just, speedy, and inexpensive determination of nearly every action. And now everyone generally leaves happy.
With curiosity and a trial lawyer’s perspective, Sid turns enemies into collaborators in
search of a mutually acceptable path forward.
Practice Areas
- Commercial Conflicts
- Business Reorganizations
- Intellectual Property
- Real Estate
- Construction Defects
- Securities
- Transportation
- Maritime
- Product Liability
- Employment
- Sexual Assault
- Personal Injury
- Civil Rights
- ADA
- Malpractice
- Healthcare
- …and other conflicts
Organizations & Achievements
- Staff/Articles Editor, Law Review, USC Law School, Los Angeles, CA (1976-78)
- Member/Chair, Committee on the Administration of Justice, State Bar, CA (1985-89)
- Member, Advisory Committee on Restatement 3d, Product Liability (1996-98)
- American Law Institute (ALI), USA (1996 – Present)
- Executive Committee, Litigation Section, State Bar, CA (1999-2001)
- “So. California Super Lawyers", Class Actions, Thompson Reuters (2004-2019)
- General Counsel (2007-2017), President’s Award (2014), President-Elect (2020), National Asian Pacific American Bar Association (NAPABA), USA (2005-Present)
- “Most Influential Minority Attorney”, Los Angeles Business Journal (2018)
- Leadership Award, USC Asian Pacific Alumni Association (2021)
- Board Member, Academy of Court Appointed Neutrals (ACAN), USA (2022 – Present)
- Lee Friedman Leadership Impact Award, ARC (2024)
- ADR Advisory Board Member, Los Angeles Superior Court, Los Angeles, CA (2025 – Present)
- Fellow, Senior Fellow, Diversity Award (2019), and President (2026) Litigation Counsel of America, USA (2012 – Present)
- Mediator, Hawaii Appellate Mediation Program (APM), Center for Alternative Dispute Resolution, Hawaii State Judiciary, Honolulu, HI (2025 – Present)
- Adjunct Professor, Pepperdine Caruso School of Law (2025 – Present)
Education & Training
- J.D., University of Southern California Gould School of Law, 1978
- B.A., University of Hawaii, Education, 1974
- Harvard Program on Negotiation
- Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution (Pepperdine Law School)
- Southern California Family Mediation Program (Edelman Children's Court)
- Asian Pacific American Dispute Resolution Center
- Los Angeles County Bar Association
- FINRA
- Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs Mediation Program (Stanley Mosk Superior Court)
- Dan Simon Transformative Mediation Program
- U.S. District Court, Central District of California Mediation Panel
CONTACT US
We Handle Complex Dispute Cases Of All Kinds
Reach out to us now to schedule a consultation. Our experienced and professional team is here to provide expert guidance through your legal issues.
Testimonials From People We’ve Helped
Very professional place to mediate a legal matter. Many places to have a private conversation, comfortable surroundings
Linda L Mitchell
Honorable Mary Thornton House mediated over our impossible case. I never thought this could get resolved, as we were stuck on both sides for almost 4 years. Honorable Mary Thornton House listened to both sides and was able to communicate in a way that both sides understood. She was tenacious, diligent and had attention to details with the accounting and figures presented. We went back and forth into the night. But, she was able to calmly able to get a resolution on both sides. The honorable judge said that in ruling a case in court. You have an instant friend and a permanent enemy. In this case, I received a fair resolution. Grateful, that I did not have to go to court. Glad that our case got resolved. I highly recommend honorable Mary Thornton House